Simplification

This past weekend, my wife and I purged our closet which was very much overdue.

We filled 8 large garbage bags with clothes to take to the Lions' Den, a clothing store run by our local Lions Club. They are donating all of their proceeds in the month of April to some friends of ours who have been battling some serious health complications with their daughter and just received a bill from the hospital for over $4 million.

A couple of things became apparent to me during this chore. One, we are so incredibly blessed. Not only were we physically able to do this, but even though we got rid of all that stuff, our closet still is full - more organized, but still full. God has given us so much!

The other thing that hit me was how liberating it was to simplify my life, even in this simple way. It has gotten me thinking about how I can do the same sort of "purging" in other areas of my life.

Third, even though this was a task that we dreaded, it felt so good to be done with it. While procrastination makes us feel comfortable for the moment, in the long-term we are always better off when we push through that feeling of wanting to do nothing and do what we have been called to do.